Television system



Oct. `15, 1935. M, A T'RAINER 2,017,136

TELEVISION SYSTEM Filed June 25, 1952 INVENTOR M.A.TRA1NER ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 15, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TELEVISION SYSTEM Merrill A. Trainer, Westmont, N. J., assignor to Radio Corporation of America, a corporation of Delaware Application June 25, 1932, Serial No. 619,169

7 Claims. (Cl. 178-6) of the scanning due to necessary interruptions in 10 the program transmission. If interruption in the program should occur, the arc which illuminates the scanning element in such manner that the light issuing from the arc may be caused to impinge upon successively elemental areas of the 15 subject scanned, should be quenched instantly upon interruption or serious damage will result to the scanning element. This is because of the fact that the type of arc which must be used to obtain a sufficient amount of illumination of 20 the subject, because of the relatively short time period of illumination, uses a very heavy current and consequently generates a considerable amount of heat. This heat, if permitted to influence any particular section of the scanning element for 25 more than a Very short time period, is sufiicient to warp the scanning element to a point where it is no longer utilizable as such. If the scanning element has once become warped and use thereof is continued it has been found that the resulting 30 image transmission will no longer be accurate but will become distorted to a degree corresponding to the degree to which the scanning element has been Warped.

Therefore, it is an object of the present inven- 35 tion to provide ways and means by which the arc used for illuminating the subject of which an image is to be transmitted may be quenched at the same instant that the driving power for the scanning element is removed.

40 The substantially simultaneous disconnection of the driving source for the scanning element is more frequently necessary in connectionv with image transmissions of motion picture films or the like than when scanning or analyzing other sub- 45 jects because in the transmission of film or the like difficulties are frequently encountered because f film breakage, burning of the film and similar inconveniences. In order to repair the lm and not necessitate a loss of a considerable amount of 50 the action portrayed by the lm subject or to disrupt completely the framing adjustment thereof ithin the transmitting device, it is desirable that the scanning element be stopped whenever the film is stopped.

55 A further object of the invention is to provide ways and means operating in combination with an arc quenching device for stopping instantly the rotation of the scanning element at times to be desired.

Still other and further objects of the invention will become apparent and at once suggest themselves to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates by considering the single ligure of the accompanying drawing in connection with the following specification and claims. Y

To refer now to the drawing, the film subject I which is assumed to be scanned for transmission purposes is shown as being unwound from a lm storage reel 3 onto a film storage reel 5 and to be moved relative to the scanning element,

preferably at constant speed although intermittent motion may be adapted Where desired, in the direction shown by the arrow.

To analyze the lm, a rotary scanning element l provided with a series of apertures extending substantially around the entire circumference of the scanning element are arranged on equal radii, assuming constant speed film motion, so that as the element 'I is driven by means of a shaft or spindle II connected with a motor I2 of 25 the synchronous type, the successive apertures 9 will trace parallel paths across the film subject I, and as the lm 'is advanced in the direction shown by the arrow, successive apertures 9 passing transverse to the film will cause different successive elemental strips to be scanned.

To illuminate the lm, an arc source I3 formed from the usual carbon electrodes 'I5 and Il is arranged to direct the issuing light to a condensing lens system I9, for example, which directs the light through the apertures 9 on the scanning element so that light which passes beyond the lrn I and is varied in intensity in proportion to the varying intensities of light and shadow on successive elemental areas of the elemental strip 40 scanned will impinge upon the lens element 2l to be focused upon the light sensitive photo tube 23. The resulting currents owing through the photo tube 23 which vary in intensity in proportion to the varying intensities of light and shadow on the picture record I are then amplified in any suitable manner by the picture signal amplifier 25 and impressed upon any suitable form of transmitting arrangement from which point they are distributed by radio or wire where desired to various remotely located points of reception.

Simultaneous with the transmission of the picture signalling impulses, provision is made for sending a synchronizing or framing indication. This is accomplished also by light sensitive methods and a suitable light source 29 directs the issuing light by way of a lens element 3| to focus upon a series of apertures 21 of the scanning element which are arranged concentrically with the 5 scanning apertures 9 which are also on equal radii. This impulse may occur after the scanning of each elemental strip of the picture record on the iilm and prior to the start of scanning of the succeeding strip. The light thus passing through the synchronous apertures 21 of the scanning element 1 is focused upon a second light sensitive tube 33 by a lens element 35. The signals are in all cases of substantially' the same amplitude and are amplified in any suitable manner by a synchronizing signal amplifier 31 from which they are directed to the same point of transmission as the picture signals.

It has already been explained in the copending application of A. W. Vance, iiled June 17, 1931,V

Serial No. 544,959, that it is desirable to maintain a predeterminedphase relationship between the picture signals and the synchronizing signals. This phase relationship is preferably a shift of |80 degrees between the picture and the synchronizing signals so that it is relatively simple to make a selection between the picture and the synchronizing signals at the point of reception and also so that it is possible by virtue of the phase difference between the signals to produce at the point vof reception the eirects of black picture Vreproduction by the'synchronizing impulses, and to use these synchronizing impulses at the same time to maintain the desired synchronization. This type of transmission is found most convenient when using a cathode ray tube to produce an image of the subject located at the point of transmission. With unilateral or one way scanning, which is necessary in the cathode ray tube when using a rotary disk as a scanning element at the trans- 40 mitter, a saw tooth wave is generated by the synchronizing medium at the receiver for the control of the ray path to cause the ray to trace a light path for a return line unless the synchronizing signals produce the same effects as a black picture signal upon the cathode ray. These synchronizing signals thus serve also to prevent observation of any return line. in the reproduced picture or electrooptical image.

This invention is not intended to cover specically the arrangement hereinabove disclosed but only the application of such arrangements to systems wherein an arc source of illumination is used and systems wherein the driving power for the disk may be supplied or disconnected practically instantaneously. To describe one of the many systems which might be used, it is seen from the drawing that for the purpose of starting the motor l2, which is preferably of the synchronous three-phase type, the three-phase current is supplied to the terminals 39 and a suitable controlling button 4| is used to start the motor. and a similar control button 43 is used to stop the motor. To start the motor it is necessary that the relay contacts 45, 45' and 45" be closed in some suitable manner by means of the'relay winding 41. This closure of the relay armatures is preferably accomplished by connecting a conductor 49 with one of the supply terminals and one end of the relay winding 41, and then, to the other end of the relay 41 a conductor 5| is connected. Conductor 5| connects to oney of the upper or off position terminals of the off button 43. The on button 4| and the off button 43 of the system are normally arranged so that each is spring- 7 pressed upwardly so that'with the start or on `or stop button 43 continues through the conductor 52, the on button 4| now having been depressed,

to the conductor 53 and back to the opposite side 5 of one phase of the impressed current. The various relay contacts 45, 45', 45 now having been closed due to relay winding 41 being energized, energy is supplied to the driving motor l2 through the conductors 54, 59 and 58, so that the motor |2 10 is rotated.

As energy is supplied to the motor by the depression of the start button 4| the relay winding 41 is caused to become energized to close the Various relay contacts and with the series of re- 15 lays closed the contact 45" connecting with the contact 45 causes a circuit to be completed through the conductor 69, one of the lower terminals of the start button 4|, the conductor 52, the upper terminals of the off or stop button 20 43, and the4 conductor 5| back through the relay winding 41 and through conductor 49 to the supply so as to complete a circuit across one phase of the input. Thus, it is seen that it is no longer necessary to maintain the start or on button 4| 25 in depressed state for the motor, once having been started, will continue to run until the circuit causing the relays 45, 45 and 45" to remain closed is broken, which is, of course, accomplished by depressing the off or stop button 43 so that 30 it rests against the lower two contacts thereof. This depression of the stop button 43, it will be seen, breaks the circuit'serving to hold the relay winding 41 energized. In addition, as the stop button 43 is pressed against the lower contacts 35 thereof energy flows through the conductors 53 and 53 to one of the lower terminals of the 01T button, and by virtue of completing a circuit through the button itself and the conductor 81 to the relay winding and the conductor 49, it is 40 seen that the armatures 9|, 9| and 9|" are closed. The armatures 9| and 9| have connected in series therewith resistor elements 93 and 95. Closure of the relay armatures 9| and 9|' serves to reverse the direction of supply of one phase of 45 the three-phase energy supply to the motor |2 and thus produces a braking action on the motor so that it is slowed and stopped substantially at the instant of pressing the off or stop button 43. 50

So long as the motor l2 is maintained in running position energy is supplied to the relay winding 59 which is connected by conductors 58 and 60 across one phase, including conductors 54 and 56, of the input to the motor l2. 59 will remain in an energized state so long as the motor is running. Now, however, supposing that the stop button 43 is depressed so as to cause the relay winding 41 toy become de-energized, it is seen that this action will cause the relay armature 60 45 to open and interrupt instantly the current flow through the relay winding 59, and this current flow will not again appear until the relay winding 41 is again energized. Assume now, for example, that the relay 41 is energized so as to cause the 65 armatures 45, 45 and 45" to be in closed position, it will be seen that the relay winding 59 is alsoy energized and this will cause the relay armature 5| to close.

. Thus, the disk is in operating position and ro- 70 tating relative to the arc I3. At this time it is desirable that the arc be caused to glow. This may be Vdone by means of a start button 63 which is arranged adjacent a stop button 65 which is normally closed. The start' and stop buttons are 75 This relay winding 55 arranged in series with the relay amature 6I and a source of current 61 (preferably direct current) With the start button 63 now depressed, and still assuming that the armature 6l is closed, it is seen that current can dow through the relay armaturel 69, the conductor 1l, the start button 63, the stopbutton 65, the relay armature 6l and conductor i3 back to the source. This causes the relay armature 15 and its holding contact 15 to become closed, The start button 63 may now be released, and although it will open the circuit originally traced by which the relay armature 69 becomes energized, it is to be noted that the holding contact 15' arranged to cooperate with the relay armature 15 is adapted to close .a circuit including conductor 'Vl which connects with the stop button 65 so that the same circuit path will, in effect, be maintained, and until the stop button is depressed the relay winding 69 will continue to be' energized.

As the relay armature 15 is closed, it is seen that the source of direct current 6l may now connect through the relay armature 'l5 and the conductor 'i9 with the positive electrode I5 of the arc and the negative side of the source 6l may connect by way of the conductors 13 and 8l with the negative electrode of the arc source, so that the arc is maintained in a glowing state so long as the relay 69 is kept energized.

In order to extinguish the arc either of two conditions may be fundamental in bringing about this result. These may be that the stop. or off button 65 is released or depressed so that the circuit including the source 61 and the relay armature 66 is broken which causes the relay armature 15 to open and the circuit to operate the arc thus broken, or the result may be accomplished by stopping the motor I2 through depression of the off or stop button 43 so as to cause a delay in the current through the relay armature winding 59 and thus cause the armature 6l to open and break the same circuit to! include the winding 69.

From the above it is seen that an arrangement which is substantially fool-proof has been provided by which it is possible to produce an interlocking between the driving of the disk and the ignition of an arc. Furthermore, it is seen that it is impossible to operate the arc unless the motor is running because while the motor is stopped the armature 6i is always open and depression of the start button will have no effect in causing the arc to glow. Therefore, it is only after the motor has once started by depressing the start button 4l and the relay 6I has closed that it is possible to depress the start button 63 to produce any useful result.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a television system, a rotary scanning element, an arc source of illumination for illuminating a subject, of which the image is to be transmitted, at successive elemental areas during the rotation oi said scanning element, means for rotating said. scanning element to cause the light produced by said arc to pass through elemental scanning areas of the scanning element to traverse successive adjacent paths of the subject of which the image is to be produced, and a plurality of relay means of which at least one is connected with the rotor of the scanning element rotating means and each relay being inter-connected with the other to cooperate with the other for controlling the scanning element rotating means and the .arc source of illumination in accordance with the current iiow through the rotor means so as to quench the arc at a time period simultaneous with periods of stopping of rotation of the scanning element rotating means.

2. In a television system, a rotary scanning element having a plurality of individual scanning 'f5 areas thereon, an arc source of light arranged to be projected by the rotary scanning element to traverse successive elemental areas of successive adjacent elemental strips of a subject of which the image is to be reproduced, means for rotating 10 said scanning element, means for stopping instantly at a predetermined time of selection the rotation of the scanning element and a relay means connected with said motor and controlled by the current flow through a portion of the' motor 15 windings so as to be operative at time periods when the motor stops for quenching the arc source of illumination.

3. A scanning system comprising a rotary scanning element, a subject of which the image 20 is to be produced, an arc source of illumination for illuminating said subject along successive elemental areas through said rotary scanning element, a driving motor for rotating said scanning element, means to supply current to said arc to 25 ignite the same only at time periods when said scanning element is rotating, relay means operative in accordance with the current flow through A the driving motor for quenching said arc upon stopping the rotation of the driving motor and a 30 second relay operating independently of the rotation of the driving motor for quenching the arc upon actuation.

4. In a television system, a rotary scanning element, an arc light for illuminating successive 35 elemental areas of a subject of which the image is to be transmitted during the rotation of said scanning element, means for rotating said scanning element to cause the light produced by said arc to traverse successive adjacent paths of the 40 subject of which the image is to be produced, and a plurality of cooperative and interlocked relay means operating through the rotor of the scanning element driving means for simultaneously quenching the arc and stopping rotation of 45 the rotor winding of the scanning element upon actuation.

5. In a television system, a rotary scanning element having a plurality of individual scanning means arranged along a predetermined path 50 thereon, an arc source of light arranged to be projected upon the scanning means of the rotary scanning element to traverse successive elemental areas of successive adjacent elemental strips of a subject of which the image is 55 to be reproducedl relay means for controlling the rotation of said scanning element, and relay means interlocked with the arc and the rotor winding of the scanning element drive means for stopping instantly at a predetermined time of 60 selection the rotation of the scanning element and simultaneously quenching the arc source of illumination whereby the heat generated by the arc is unable to warp the scanning element.

6. A television system comprising a scanning 65 disk, a high intensity light source, a multi-phase synchronous motor for rotating the disk at substantially constant speed, relay means operable to start and maintain the said motor rotating, independent relay means operable to disconnect 70 at least two phases of the source of driving energy from the motor to retard the motor, relay means adapted to reverse the current in a different phase of the supply energy to the motor to stop rotation immediately upon actuation of the rst relay means, and relay means actuated byrotation of the motor for Vextinguishing the light source. y

7. A scanning system comprising a source of illumination, a rotary element through which light from the source is adapted to pass at predetermined selected time intervals, a driving motor for rotating the scanning element, a plurality of relay devices for starting and stopping the driving motor, a second relay system forcontrolling the source of illumination, and a third relay system controlled from said motor for exerting the secondary control on the second relay system whereby upon operation of any of the relay systems the light from the source of illumination is extinguished and upon operation of the first relay system the motor is started and stopped.

MERRILL A. TRAINER. 

